Newsletter #211

March 7, 2003

Greetings Accumulators!

This has been the most miserable winter in the Northeast. Another messy
snow/ice/sleet storm this week, and frigid temperatures. Only two weeks
until Spring!

FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF MILK IT FOR ALL ITS WORTH
Frank Zapushek of Bloomington, Illinois bought an 1878 half dollar coin at
an auction for $800. He just knew there was something "wrong" with the coin
and, after examining it again and again, found the flaw: a die that had
been taken out of use two years before was used to cast the reverse of the
coin. The tiny difference - better defined branches in the eagle's mouth
and an open flower instead of a bud - could be worth quite a nice piece of
change for Frank. And he's making sure veryone becomes aware of it before
the coin is auctioned. First of all, Frank, who has been a coin collector
since the age of 13, withheld the announcement of his find to the
mainstream media until all the collector magazines had a chance to prepare
stories about the coin and the upcoming tour he arranged for it. The coin
will make several appearances at coin shows all over Illinois during the
month of March. After that, it goes up for auction, at a reported minimum
bid of $100,000. Frank's no fool!

And, more from the world of coins: Melvin Doyle, 89, of Minnesota has
donated his coin collection, begun in 1918, when he was just five, to St
Joseph's Catholic Church in New Hope. The coins were delivered via three
pick-up trucks. According to published reports, there were 26 five-gallon
containers of quarters, a keg of pre-1965 silver quarters, 3,500 silver
dimes and sacks bulging with hundreds of silver dollars. There were also
commemorative sets of silver coins and a set of 18 two-and-a-half dollar
gold pieces. The Reverend Bob Hazel of St. Joseph's recruited young people
from the church to sort and count the coins. The circulated coins, those
with no collector value, totalled about $50,000. The older and rarer coins,
those that were never circulated, are being evaluated by a New York auction
house. Reverend Hazel says that the value of Mr. Doyle's gift to the church
is likely to top $75,000.

TALK ABOUT YOUR CROSS-COLLECTIBLE DEPARTMENT
Here's one for you furniture collectors. And you coffin collectors too. A
Dutch designer has invented a bookcase that can be turned into a coffin
after the owner's death. Hans Rademaker, 40, says it is for people who want
to buy a coffin but find the idea morbid. After the owner dies, the
bookcase's seven shelves can be fitted together to make the coffin lid. "I
realised people don't want to talk about the death", Rademaker says. "So I
made my own coffin so it could also be used as a bookcase that looks fine
in a study or a dining room." The bookcases cost nearly $1,100, while a
cheap coffin in Holland costs only about $400. "I know it's expensive but
for that money you have a very beautiful bookcase and a strong coffin at
the same time," he added. Mr Rademaker has now reached an agreement with
Dutch public libraries to install the coffin in all libraries. Because, as
everyone knows, it is very important to have coffins in public libraries.
Actually, in some rougher neighborhoods they might come in handy.

WHAT IS SILLIER LOOKING THAN CHER IN A WIG?
Cher, who is on her farewell tour, is almost certainly going to either
auction those strange costumes and wigs when it's all over, or donate them
somewhere. However, one of her wigs, a half black/half teal braided affair
valued at $9000 (Geez, what was it made of - ermine?), was stolen from a
backstage dressing area in the Richmond Virginia Coliseum on February 25,
according to The Associated Press. Poor bald Cher reported it stolen after
her crew unpacked at the next stop on her tour in Baltimore, MD on February
26. The Richmond police appear to be a very sharp group. One of their
employees overheard a man bragging that he had the wig, and informed the
department. Detectives questioned a man who said he'd given the hairpiece
to an unknown woman outside The Coliseum after the concert. A woman then
walked into a police station and handed in the wig. "At this point in the
investigation, it is believed that these folks were fans," police
spokeswoman Christie Collins said. "Part of the investigation is how they
got into that room." That is, of course, the only part of the
investigation, since the wig was voluntarily returned to the department.
Police are holding the wig as evidence. And also for the sergeant's
retirement party at the Bowl N'Munch next Thursday night.

Accumulators, as much as I would like to continue to procrastinate with
you, we have to do our taxes today. Better to get it out of the way before
the weather turns warm and we want to go out and hit those garage and yard
sales. Hope you're warm and snuggly wherever you are. Have a great week,
Accumulators. Happy hunting!
Best,
Judith